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Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Major

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Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies

$55,230 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 10,378
Master’s Degree 1,942
Basic Certificate 1,915
Associate Degree 936
Graduate Certificate 627
Doctor’s Degree 342
Undergraduate Certificate 103

What Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Majors

Area, Ethnic, Culture, and Gender Studies majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Skills for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Majors

area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Majors

A major in area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors 10.4% $74,440
Interpreters and Translators 17.7% $49,930

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies?

10,378 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
75% Percent Women
55% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major is dominated by women with about 75% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 815
Black or African American 1,449
Hispanic or Latino 2,592
White 3,875
International Students 498
Other Races/Ethnicities 1,149

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies. About 4.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $29,732 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $26,398 (25th percentile) and $33,676 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $55,230 to $85,450 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for an Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Major  ( 55230 to 85450 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 0.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 3.7%
Bachelor’s Degree 17.0%
Master’s Degree 29.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 5.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.8%
Doctoral Degree 41.5%
Post-Doctoral Training 2.7%

Online Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 801 schools offered a area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 33 3
Certificate (2-4 Years) 13 0
Associate’s Degree 202 7
Bachelor’s Degree 231 14
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 388 8
Post-Master’s 43 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 142 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies grad is $55,230 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 38% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $306,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to area, ethnic, culture, and gender studies.

Major Number of Grads
Education 327,871
Social Sciences 205,984
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731
Library Science 6,538

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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